


You Belong To Us

by honeyandginger (l_ostsheep3)



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Banner/Pepper Potts/Tony Stark (Implied) - Freeform, F/M, Multi, One Shot, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-03
Updated: 2013-11-03
Packaged: 2017-12-31 08:01:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1029265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/l_ostsheep3/pseuds/honeyandginger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Bruce is feeling down and uncertain, Pepper is there to lend an ear and a shoulder.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Belong To Us

**Author's Note:**

> *Note* The ending has been revised. Along with a few other minor editing revisions. I'm sorry, I don't do well at titles or summaries, I'm up for suggestions though!

It's sunny in Southern California, as it always is at this time of year – at most times of the year, truthfully. Which doesn't explain why Pepper Potts feels that something is off in her little household; her rather untraditional household. She and Tony Stark finally got on the same page a couple of years ago and became partners, married in all but legality. Things have been wonderful, amazing, actually, they live together, the epitome of a loving couple. Sure they have their arguments, who doesn’t, but for all intents and purposes they are happy, in love with life and with each other. 

The untraditional part of their relationship was one of the changes brought on by the Battle for New York. It changed how they relate to each other, brought them closer together than they ever were before as they realized that they had survived something that could have killed either or both of them. It changed their living arrangements – they spent more time in New York, rebuilding the tower, and at Tony’s insistence settling the rest of the Avengers into the tower as full-time residents. Much to Pepper’s surprise no one had objected to that new arrangement – even the SHIELD agents have been glad to have a place that wasn’t SHIELD issue.

Perhaps the biggest change that occurred was their pair becoming a trio. Pepper realized as they were rebuilding the tower that Tony had a crush on Doctor Bruce Banner. Not that she could blame him, even then the doctor was someone that she admired, respected, appreciated – and she could appreciate him on both an intellectual and physical level. His unassuming good looks were hard not to get drawn in by, and his gentle demeanor captivated her.  
It was her idea for two to become three. Not only could she tell that Tony liked Bruce in a way that was much more than friendship, she could tell that Tony was hurting because he wasn’t willing to explore a relationship with Bruce because of her. And yes, that thrilled her – given Tony’s reputation as a playboy - but it also hurt her because it was hurting him.

So she suggested to Tony that they invite Bruce into their relationship. She had no reservations about him joining them. She had seen him often around the tower, including having had him to dinner several times. Even then she liked Bruce well enough, and, in a very short time, she found that she loved him as well. 

When they moved back to Malibu, several months after the Battle, it only seemed right for Bruce to join them – in fact it would have been incredibly wrong for him to remain in New York. Which is why she’s worried now. They have been back in Malibu for a few weeks, and everything has seemed normal. She goes into Stark Industries to work most days of the week, Tony splits his time between the office and his workshop at the house, and Bruce, who she had hired to head the medical research division of the company, also works between the office and home.

But the past week Bruce has become more withdrawn. It seems like he is worrying more, or just not as close to them, and Pepper is worried because while Bruce tends more toward serious than Tony, he is rarely truly withdrawn. 

In an incredibly rare occurrence Tony had gone into the office that morning, having scheduled meetings regarding the civil uses for the Arc Reactor technology, and she had no meetings scheduled for that day, which left her and Bruce at home. She had been wondering for days if she should say anything to Bruce, she hates to pry, but she loves him and is worried about him. “Well, standing here staring at the Pacific isn’t going to do any good,” the red head comments to herself as she finishes the last of her coffee. 

Taking herself back into the house she heads for the kitchen, setting the kettle on to boil, she sets about making tea for herself and Bruce, having discovered early on that they both enjoyed a good cup of tea - especially when things were topsy-turvy. Once she's added the boiling water to the two mugs, she picks them up and heads toward the living room, which is where Bruce is often found when he isn’t working, cooking or with them. She pokes her head around the corner and makes sure he is in there, with no door on the room, and her in stocking feet, it is easy to sneak up on the second man she considers her ‘husband’. 

Pepper holds up the mug of tea when Bruce acknowledges her with a smile that doesn’t quite touch his eyes. 

“Hey Pep,” Bruce’s voice is rough from disuse, slightly gravelly. 

“Hi, do you mind if I join you?”

“Not if you’ve brought Earl Grey," Bruce says with a wry sort-of smile.

“Of course I did,” she answers, walking over and taking a seat on the couch next to him, offering the mug in her right hand.

“You know me too well,” Bruce answers with a smile. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” Pepper says, giving him a smile as she sips her tea.

Bruce takes a sip of the tea, letting the slightly sweet, citrusy taste wash over his tongue. Pepper figured out early on how he takes his tea, and the red head gets it right every time. “Perfect, Honey, thank you.”

“As I said, my pleasure,” Pepper says softly, sipping her own cup of fragrant Orange spice tea. She lets them both relax for a few minutes before she speaks again, only glancing at the other man. “You okay, Sweetheart?” she finally asks.

Bruce glances guiltily down at his mug, then looks back up at Pepper, turning the cup around in his hands. “I’ve been better,” he answers truthfully.

“Anything I can do to help?” 

“I don’t know.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I…don’t want to upset you.”

“Bruce,” Pepper says with great patience “I’m more upset that it seems like you’re hurting and you’re not comfortable telling us what it is.” She reaches out and takes the mug from his hands, setting it on the table in front of them, allowing her to take his hand in her own. It is bigger than hers, of course, and slightly calloused from working in the labs, but she knows firsthand how gentle he is, whether tending a wound or showing his partners how much he loves them.

“My parents anniversary would have been yesterday,” the doctor says out of the blue. “They would have been married 50 years, they had been married nearly 8 when I was born.”

Pepper is rather stunned at the conversation, Bruce doesn’t talk about his family much, she assumes there is reason for that, but she’s not about to push him to reveal things he doesn’t want to.

“Usually I don’t think about it, I either actively try not to or I’m too busy, but this year it just kind of hit me...I’m not supposed to be here. It took them seven years not because they couldn’t have a baby, but because they didn’t want one. Because they were happier without one…without me.”

Pepper squeezes his hand, hurting for this man who doesn’t deserve to feel like this, who is good and compassionate and loving. 

“They probably should have just gotten rid of me. My mom tried to make me feel wanted– she actually tried too hard, I felt like I was suffocating most of the time. She was always there – team mother, room mother, baking, having meetings with teachers. It was rare for her not to show up at school for one meeting or another just about every day. It should have felt loving, but really, it didn’t. My father…”Bruce’s voice lowers, “he didn’t bother to try. I never knew an honest emotion from him other than contempt,“ Bruce says, letting out a ragged breath. “He was proud publically when I won science and math competitions. He was publically thrilled when I was valedictorian and got into a good college for medicine. Privately though, he berated me for getting valedictorian with only a 3.98 grade average and for not even applying to Harvard, Yale or MIT. And for not choosing physics right away as my science of choice.” He has ended up in physics, but he got there later in his life and it was his own choice. “He hated me, hated what I stood for, hated that I took my mother’s attention – and thought I was the one who made her get out of her field. “

Pepper doesn’t know what to say, she can only squeeze his hand and offer her silent comfort.

“As we’ve gotten closer to this anniversary, I find myself waking up in the middle of the night, having dreamed that he’s telling me I’m not good enough, that I shouldn’t be alive…that I shouldn’t be here and you and Tony should be free to marry each other and have a life that all couples dream of.”

Pepper’s eyes briefly close with the pain that she can hear in that last statement, she turns more toward him, her free hand coming up to cup his cheek, to stroke the light stubble along his jaw. “We want you here, Bruce. You belong with us. If I could marry you both, I would, I consider you both my husbands as it is. You do belong here. I know it’s hard to counteract that worry though, those old feelings of doubt. I’m sorry that someone who was supposed to love you hurt you so badly, Bruce, I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry, Pep, it wasn’t your fault.”

“No, but I still…I feel badly for you, you shouldn’t have had to put up with that kind of crap. You should have been - every child should be - loved and celebrated for who they are. No child should feel that they are not wanted.”

Bruce smiles warmly at her, “You would make a great mother,” as soon as the words leave his mouth his face falls though, “something else I’m preventing…”

“Bruce Banner,” Pepper’s using her no-nonsense CEO voice, the one that she has used with Tony for years to get him to listen, “do not think for one moment that if we decided to have a child you would not be part of the decision or the child’s life. You are not preventing anything in that respect so just stop it, right now.”

“Why, Pep, why do you want me here?” Bruce's plaintive gaze turns to her with the question.

Pepper’s heart aches as those brown eyes look to her for an explanation. “Because you are ours, because you are sweet, and kind, charming, handsome, loving and lovable – and frankly with what you just told me, you turned out amazing for the crap you went through. And that is all you, Bruce Banner. We want you here because you are ours. There’s no other way to put it. We love you.” With that Pepper leans in and kisses him softly, gently, offering love and reassurance.

Bruce sighs into the kiss, the sweet, tender mouth on his. His hand releases Pepper’s only to slide over her waist and up her back, holding her closely. He’s overwhelmed with the affection that she shows for him, the understanding and pure love. “I don’t want to lose you, Pep, I’m so scared sometimes that I’m going to screw up and get sent away,” Bruce says as he draws back from the gentle kiss, his heart pounding as he realizes what he just admitted.

Pepper aches anew with the look on her partner’s face, the outright fear and longing. She again touches her fingers to his cheek, “we’re not letting you go, Bruce, I promise. I promise.” She kisses him softly again, hand stroking down his jaw, coming to rest against his chest, thumb stroking softly in love and reassurance.

“I’m sorry if it takes me a while to really, really accept that, and not have periods of insecurity.”

“Bruce, you’re allowed to have worries, doubts and fears, just, don’t try to keep them to yourself, we can’t reassure you that you are loved if you don’t let us know that you’re anxious. But we will try to let you know each day that you mean the world to us.” She looks into the deep chocolate eyes of the man that she loves and leans in to kiss him again, soft and warm. “Because you really, really do.”

Bruce’s expression makes Pepper’s heart ache, and she leans in and kisses him again, gently pouring all of the love she has for him into the kiss, one hand sliding over his neck to tangle in his hair and hold him close.

“You deserve everything, Bruce, don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”


End file.
